Radiation Planning Index for dose distribution evaluation in stereotactic radiotherapy

Summary: Aim: The aim of this study was to provide a parameter for treatment plan comparisons in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: 21 patients with brain tumours were selected for analysis. Two alternative treatment plans were calculated for each patient. One of the alternative plans was approved while the second one was rejected by the physician. Alternative plans were compared with the parameter RPI. The computer program RPIWin® was prepared to facilitate the calculation process. Results: Calculations showed that 80% of approved treatment plans had higher RPI than rejected ones. Only 4 cases of approved treatment plans were characterized by lower RPI values than rejected ones. Conclusion: The experiment demonstrated that the Radiation Planning Index formula takes into account the relation between dose distributions calculated for planning treatment volumes and organs at risk and is a convenient tool for treatment plan comparisons in routine clinical practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]